North Andover

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North Andover, Massachusetts
—  Town  —
Lake Cochichewick from the north
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°41′55″N 71°08′08″W / 42.69861°N 71.13556°W / 42.69861; -71.13556Coordinates: 42°41′55″N 71°08′08″W / 42.69861°N 71.13556°W / 42.69861; -71.13556
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Essex
Settled	1644
Incorporated[1]	1855
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
• Town    Manager	open (July 2011)
• Board of    Selectmen	Chair Tracy M. Watson, Donald Stewart, William Gordon, Rosemary Smedile
Area
• Total	27.8 sq mi (72.1 km2)
• Land	26.7 sq mi (69.0 km2)
• Water	1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2)
Elevation	75 ft (23 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	27,202
• Density	1,020.7/sq mi (394.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01845
Area code(s)	978
FIPS code	25-46365
GNIS feature ID	0618306
Website	http://www.townofnorthandover.com/

North Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. North Andover is the home of Merrimack College, a private, Catholic four-year institution (though the college has expanded into Andover as well).

From 1646 to her death in 1672, North Andover was the home of America's first published poet, Anne Dudley Bradstreet and her family. Mistress Bradstreet, her husband Simon and six of their children (Dudley and John were born after moving from Ipswich) helped found this original Andover Parish.

History

North Andover is the parent town of the Andovers. The lands south of the Merrimack River around Lake Cochichewick and the Shawsheen River were set aside by the Massachusetts General Court in 1634 for the purpose of creating an inland plantation. The Cochichewick Plantation, as it was called, was purchased on May 6, 1646 when Reverend John Woodbridge, who had settled the land for the English, paid Penacook chief Cutshmache six pounds for the lands. The plantation was then incorporated as Andover, most likely in honor of the hometown of many early residents, Andover, Hampshire, England. The town was centered in what is now North Andover, but the spread of settlement south and west of the old town center created much conflict in the early years about the location of the parish church. In 1709, the matter was brought to the General Court, which set aside two parish churches, north and south. The parishes grew apart as the years went on and on April 7, 1855 the North parish (ironically, the original parish) separated from the south and was incorporated as North Andover.

There are several first period (pre-1720) houses still standing in town. The oldest house is probably the Bridges House, relocated from Marbleridge Road to Court Street in the 1990s; the original portion of this house probably dates to about 1690. Other first period houses include the Stevens House on Great Pond Road; the Faulkner House on Appleton Street; the Stevens House on Salem Street; the Barnard House, which is a museum; a house on Andover Street near the intersection with Chickering Road; and the Carlton-Frie-Tucker House at 140 Mill Road. No house in North Andover has been scientifically dated by dendrochronology as of yet, so dates are based solely on stylistic elements, original deeds, and tradition. The Barnard House is most unusual and might prove to be one of the few examples of a house dating to an earlier year than established by architectural historians.

North Andover's development was varied, with much of the land along the Shawsheen and Merrimack being concerned with industry, and the lands southwest being more agricultural. Several mills were located in the town, and industry has conitnued to this day, including the Western Electric Company, AT&T's manufacturing division, which supplied telephone machinery for many years before it was split up by AT&T into the new company, Lucent Technologies. Today North Andover is considered a bedroom community of the greater Boston area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.8 square miles (72 km²), of which 26.6 square miles (69 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), or 4.27%, is water. The town lies to the south of the Merrimack River, which makes up part of its northwest boundary, along with the Shawsheen River. The northeast quadrant of town is dominated by Lake Cochichewick, which is also bordered by the Osgood Hill Reservation, Weir Hill Reservation and the Reas Pond Conservation Area. The town also is home to its own Town Farm, its own small state forest, as well as portions of Harold Parker State Forest, Boxford State Forest and the Charles W. Ward Reservation. There are many brooks, streams and ponds dotting the town.

North Andover lies in the northwestern portion of Essex County, with a small corner of the town bordering Middlesex County. It is bordered by Lawrence to the north, Haverhill to the northeast, Boxford to the east, Middleton to the southeast, North Reading to the southwest, and Andover to the west. North Andover's Old Center, which is closer to the geographic center of town than its newer town center, is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of Lawrence's city center, and is 25 miles (40 km) north of Boston and 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Manchester, New Hampshire.

A small portion of Interstate 495 crosses through town along the Lawrence border, with one exit within town and two more providing access to the highway. The town lies along Route 114, known as the "Salem Turnpike," and is also served by Route 125 and Route 133, which are concurrent for much of their routes within town. The town is partially served by the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority bus line. The nearest train station is located in Lawrence, where the Lawrence stop along the Haverhill/Reading Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail lies. (The line actually passes through the town along the Merrimack, but there is no stop.) North Andover is also home to the Lawrence Municipal Airport, providing small aircraft service to the region. The nearest national service, at Logan International Airport and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, is within a thirty-mile ride of the town.

Demographics

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 27,202 people, 9,724 households, and 6,904 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,020.7 inhabitants per square mile (394.1 /km²). There were 9,943 housing units at an average density of 373.1 per square mile (144.1 /km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.67% White, 0.72% African American, 0.05% Native American, 3.96% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.

There were 9,724 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

According to a 2007 estimate,^[12] the median income for a household in the town was $87,076, and the median income for a family was $113,796. Males had a median income of $66,793 versus $38,495 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,335. 2.9% of the population and 2.1% of families were below the poverty line. 2.7% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Government and infrastructure

North Andover employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a five-member board of selectmen and a town manager, Mark Rees.^[13] The town has its own police and fire departments, EMS, public works, and a senior center. North Andover has no hospital, the nearest being Lawrence General Hospital. It is located within the Boston media market, and is served by the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune newspaper and North Andover Patch], an affiliate of the Patch.com network.

On the state level, the town is served by Essex County services, and is patrolled by the First Barracks of Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police, based in Andover. North Andover lies in two districts, the Fourteenth Essex and Eighteenth Essex, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and the First Essex and First Essex and Middlesex in the Massachusetts Senate. North Andover is located within Massachusetts's 6th congressional district, and has been served by Representative John F. Tierney (D) since 1997. Massachusett's senior Senator is John Kerry (D), serving since 1985, and its junior Senator, elected in the 2010 special election, is Scott Brown (R), who was the town's choice in the election by a 71% majority. North Andover has no mayor, but, until his death in 2006, William P McEvoy, the director of recreation, was known as the "unofficial mayor".

Education

North Andover is home to its own school system. It has an early childhood center, five elementary schools (Atkinson Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Kittredge Elementary, Annie L. Sargent Elementary and Thomson Elementary), a middle school and North Andover High School. As of 2004 a brand new high school and complete sporting complex, including a Football, Soccer, Field hockey, and Lacrosse field. There is a complete track and field area and numerous tennis courts. North Andover's mascot is the Scarlet Knight, its colors are scarlet and black and it competes in the Cape Ann League and Division II of the MIAA. Its main rival is Masconomet Regional High School, whom it plays in football in the annual Thanksgiving Day game. High school students from North Andover are also allowed to attend Greater Lawrence Technical School in Andover. There are several private schools in North Andover, including the Brooks School, Meritor Academy (an early learning school) and Saint Michael's Elementary School. The nearest Catholic high schools, Austin Preparatory School 6-12, Central Catholic HS 9-12, and Presentation of Mary, 9-12, are located in the neighboring towns of Reading, Lawrence and Methuen, respectively. North Andover is also home to Merrimack College, a Catholic Augustinian four year college. The nearest public community college, based in Haverhill, is Northern Essex Community College, which also has a campus in Lawrence and a Corporate & Community Education Center in North Andover. The nearest public university is UMass Lowell.

Recreation

Residents can purchase a discounted summer pass to Steven's Pond where they can go swimming for the day. Nearby Weir Hill offers trails for hiking, walking, biking, and views of the surrounding area.

Many events are held at the old common, including the sheep shearing festival in late spring and various summer activities for children and adults.

Harold Parker State Forest offers 25 miles of trails, a campground, and a fresh water swimming beach. Other activities include horseback riding, camping, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, and hiking. In September there is also an annual fishing tournament.

The Col. John Osgood House, a historic house, is also in North Andover.

Notable residents

• Anne Bradstreet, poet
• Samuel Osgood, first Postmaster General of the United States
• Rev Theory, hard rock band
• Rob Konrad, former NFL runningback
• Steve DeOssie, former NFL linebacker
• Zak DeOssie, current NFL linebacker
• George Glennie, former NFL guard
• Phillips Brooks, minister of Trinity Church, Boston and great-grandson of the founder of Phillips Academy
• Bruce Tarr, Massachusetts state senator (lives in Gloucester, MA)
• Moses Stevens, textile manufacturer
• Daniel Dennett, philosopher
• Cliff Bleszinski, game designer
• Steve Heinze, former NHL player
• Gerry Cheevers, former NHL player

References

1. ^ http://www.mass.gov/Ehed/docs/dhcd/profiles/196.doc
2. ^ "TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000. Retrieved September 13, 2011. 
3. ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
4. ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
5. ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_maABC-01.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
6. ^ "1950 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
7. ^ "1920 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1900, 1910, and 1920. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
8. ^ "1890 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
9. ^ "1870 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-05.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
10. ^ "1860 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1860a-08.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
11. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
12. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US2502144105&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US25%7C05000US25021%7C06000US2502144105&_street=&_county=north+andover&_cityTown=north+andover&_state=04000US25&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
13. ^ http://www.townofnorthandover.com/Pages/NAndoverMA_Manager/index

External links

• Biography of Anne Bradstreet
• Town of North Andover
• North Andover Historical Society.
• John Farnum and Moses Abbot 1795 Map of Andover. click on map for larger image.
• Dorman, Moses. 1830 Map of Andover including what would be North Andover.
• Beers, D.G. 1872 Atlas of Essex County Map of North Andover, plate 55 .
• Walker, George H. 1884 Atlas of Essex County Map of North Andover, page 121 .
• Historical Sketches of the Town of Andover (comprising the Present Towns of North Andover and Andover) by Sarah Loring Bailey, published 1880, 626 pages.
• Vital Records of Andover, Massachusetts to 1850 (now North Andover, the original town).
• Andover, Massachusetts: Proceedings at the Celebration of the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town, May 20, 1896 at books.google.
• Weir Hill
• North Andover Community Access & Media
• Eagle Tribune

v d e Municipalities and communities of Essex County, Massachusetts, US Cities Amesbury Beverly Gloucester Haverhill Lawrence Lynn Methuen Newburyport Peabody Salem Towns Andover Boxford Danvers Essex Georgetown Groveland Hamilton Ipswich Lynnfield Manchester-by-the-Sea Marblehead Merrimac Middleton Nahant Newbury North Andover Rockport Rowley Salisbury Saugus Swampscott Topsfield Wenham West Newbury CDPs Andover Boxford Essex Ipswich Rockport Rowley Salisbury Topsfield Other villages Annisquam Ballardvale Beverly Farms Bradford Byfield Clifton Plum Island